Jake Morton wasn't sure he wanted to make the position change, but it could go down as the smartest move the Hudsonville High School senior ever made.

Seven months after moving from outfield/pitcher to catcher, Morton completed the transition by being selected by the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday in the 45th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

While Morton likely will never know how a career in the outfield or on the mound would have gone, he's thrilled about the possibility of playing professional baseball.

"It definitely turned out to be a very good decision," he said.

Morton was one of three Michigan high school players taken in the draft, joining Martin Luther King High School outfielder Mark Brown and Niles pitcher David Garner.

Just 14 players with Michigan ties were taken, including five players from the University of Michigan.

Morton, the 1,363rd player drafted, has a scholarship to Oakland University.

"To be honest, I didn't think I was going to be drafted," he said. "I had resigned myself to not getting a shot, but then my name popped up. Now, there are just a whirlwind of thoughts going through my mind. I feel like I'm very blessed to have this problem."

Morton hit .350 for Hudsonville, but it's his arm and work around the plate that impressed the Tigers, said Tigers scout Clyde Weir, who saw Morton play four times this spring.

Weir said Morton, whose throws to second have been clocked in as little as 1.8 seconds, turned into a prospect when he gave up playing outfield and pitching in favor of going behind the plate.

"What really enticed us is putting him behind the plate. He really took to that position," Weir said. "If he hits, you've got something there. Going from the outfield to catcher really upped his stock."

Originally, Morton wanted little part of moving to catcher because he saw little future in it.

He knew former Hudsonville star and current Western Michigan University freshman Kory Bauswell would play ahead of him at catcher at least until Morton was a senior.

But after Bauswell's graduation and the insistence of Hudsonville assistant coach Jeff Irish, Morton was convinced to move to catcher for his last year of high school.

His summer coach, Billy Peterson of the Diamonds program in Grand Rapids, said Morton will have his hands full in honing his catching skills. Major league clubs must offer draft choices a contract, but Morton also could choose to attend Oakland University.

Either way, Morton is a work in progress in learning the catching position, Peterson said.

"This summer will be important for him in learning the position," Peterson added. "He's got great baseball skills, but he has to learn the game from a whole new perspective. He's in a transition period. But he's a fast learner and he's bright."